Device for venting oil burner installations



l July 13, 1937. J. M. CARROLL 2,086,693.

DEVICE FOR VENTING OIL. BURNER INSTALLATIONS Filed March 19, 1955 '2 sheets-sheet 1 /fM WVM@ BY l l ATTORNEY July 13, 1937. J. M. CARROLL 2,086,698

' DEVICE FOR VENTING OIL BURNER INSTALLATIONS Filed March 19, 1935 2 sheets-sheet 2 :i Y l' IIN,` f-JJJJJM INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY` Patented July 13, 1937 Unirse i s'rrf PATE DEVICE FOR VENTING OIL BURNER IN STALLATEONS Application March 19, 1935, Serial No. 11,774

4 Claims.

` passage of oil.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vent device having a valve therein adapted to close to prevent the passage therethrough of oil under pressure and providing' means for the passage of air therethrough without the closing of the valve, said air preferably being conducted to the tank from which the o-il has been withdrawn so that any oil which may intermingle with the air will be conserved.

The invention therefore is adapted to be used in a system, including a tank, an oil conduit and an air conduit, and comprises a valve structure located in the air conduit adapted to provide for passage therethrough of air` butto close against'the passage of oil, said vent device comprising a housing which is introduced into the air line and comprising a moving part as a collapsible diaphragm having passages properly proportioned to permit the passage therethrough of air but of such restricted capacity as tol obstruct the passage of oil whereby the'pressure of the oil will build up pressure in opposition to the collapsible diaphragm and by moving parts of the diaphragm will close entirely to the passage of oil.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view largely diagrammatic of a conventional oil burner installation, the burner itself being omitted, and including a vent therein. Y

Figure 2 is a similar diagrammatic View with the parts diiferently arranged.

Figure 3 is a similar diagrammatic view with again a diierent arrangement of parts.

Figure 4 is a View in side elevation'of the Vent unit.

` Figure 5 is a view of the vent unit in substantially diametrical section.

Figure 6 is a view in side elevation of the adjustable valve member.

Figure 7 is a view of the adjustable valve member in plan as indicated by the arrow 'l at Figure 6 but with parts broken away.

Figure 8 is a View of the exible diaphragm and guide in side elevation, parts being broken away.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

It is well known that in oil burner installations when the pressure discontinues the supply of oil to the burner, the oil will, at least under some conditions, iiow reversely intol the tank leaving the conduit iilled with air. In modern oil burner installations, time switches are provided for discontinuing the motor current if the ilame is not established within a predetermined interval after the starting of the pump. When valves ordinarily employed require a predeter-v mined pressure before opening. It often happens, therefore, that the pump fails to void the conduit of air and the time switch, operating, discontinues the current of the motor and the services of a mechanic are required. The present invention is adapted to provide relatively free exit for the air until voided from the conduit suciently to permit of pressure being built up in the regulating Valve to supply oilto the burner and to automatically close against. the: passage of any material quantity of oil, whereby the burner is promptly provided with oil in advance of the time limit of the time switch.

As disclosed in the drawings, tank l0, lV or lil represent various locations'of oil tanks for use with oil burners. A conventional showing of the pump H requires the use of conduit l2, l2 or l2 for conducting the oil from the tank to the pump. In the ordinary installation of oil burners, the valve It is employed which receives the oil from the pump throughv the conduit i4 and after the predetermined pressure has been built up,V discharges the oil through the conduit l to any type of burner selected. No burner is shown as the burners vary so greatly that any attempt to show the burner has been omitted. This type of pressure valve is well known in the art and after the burner pressure has been eX-: ceeded, will by-pass the oil through the loop I6' Aback into the initial conduit.

When the pump I I discontinues supplying oil to the burner as, for instance, under thermostatic control, the oil may -fiow backwardly into the tank either to completely void the conduit or partially so. When the pump again starts, it is necessary to educt the lair from the conduit before the oil can reach the burner or the control valve I3. As the pumps areV arranged for the pumping of oil rather than air and as the valve I3 presents an obstruction to the eduction of the air, the pump frequently fails to overcome the resistance of the valve i3 to discharge the air and the time switch, ordinarily employed in such installations and not shown, functions to break the circuit of the motor. This situation is one which the ordinary user'cannot cope with and the services of a mechanic are required. To overcome this drawback, the present invention provides means of easy exit for the air so that although the pump may be intended to function only for oil, the exit of the air is offered with but little resistance and the pump will then very readily and quickly exhaust the air and initiate the pumping of oil.

The device as an entirety is shown at A and may be variously located in the installation at any point between the pump and the tank and bypassing the valve I3. For such purpose, there is shown at Figure 1 a pipe Il leading from the vent member A to the tank It, and at Figure 3, the conduit I'I similarly arranged but with the tank differently positioned relative to the pump and the vent A. At Figure 2, the conduit I8 extends as a by-pass from the conduit I4 to the vent A and with the conduit Il" from the vent A to the Vtank I. Each of these tanks Ill, Iii and I0 areprovided with breather devices i9, I9' and I9", as well knownin'th art.

The vent A comprises the housing 2S, having an inlet at 2I and an outlet at 22. The inlet 2i connects with the pipe 23, 23 or 23 from the pump and the outlet 22 connects directly with the conduits II, I'I and II.

'Ihe air entering from the pipe 23 into the inlet 2 I, passes through the lateral passages 2li into the chamber 25 and about and surrounding the flexible diaphragm 26. This flexible diaphragm is provided upon its normally lower end with a guide lug 2l which fits into the passage normally forming communication between the chamber 25 and the inlet 2 I and normally closing said passage. The diaphragm is provided with a sleeve 28 forming at its upper end a valve seat. This sleeve 28 is provided with constricted passages 29 which form communication between the chamber 25 and the sleeve 28..

The flexible diaphragm is provided at its upper end with a flange 3G which is seated upon the annular shoulder 3| within the housing and is maintained fixed in said position by means of the disc 32 which has a threaded perimeter at 34' engaging the threads 35 within the interior of the housing. A multisided boss 3b is provided for the application of a wrench or similar device for the purpose of inserting the disc and forcing it home to clamp the flange 30.

This disc 32 is internally screw threaded and the sleeve 31 .isr threaded into said threads, said sleeve being also internally screw threaded. The flattened part 38 is provided on said sleeve for the application thereto of a Wrench or similar implement. By means of the internal threads of the sleeve 3l, a needle valve 33 is inserted within the collapsible diaphragm 26 and in position to engage the valve seat of the sleeve 28 when the flexible diaphragm has collapsed. To assist the collapsible diaphragmto resist collapsing, a spring 39 is introduced into the diaphragm chamber and the sleeve 31 is employed to bear 1199,11. the upper end ofthe spring and by its manipulation to vary the tension of the spring. The needle valve 39 is held in position by the threaded section 4Q, preferably integral with the needle valve, the keri il being provided for receiving a screw driver, or like implement, to adjust the needle valve relative to the valve seat provided by the sleeve 28. lt will be noted, especially from Fig- Vure 5, that an annular space i2 is provided Within the disc 32, surrounding the sleeve 3l. This annular space Q2 provides communication from the chamber 25, through the orifices 2S, the sleeve 28, and flexible diaphragm 25, to the passages lil which extend radially from said annular recess to and communicate with the annular furrow 44. This furrow is extends entirely about the disc 32 below the threaded part 34. This furrow 44 is in communication with the outlet 22.

In operation, when the pump starts, the air from the pump passes through the by-pass 23 and the conduit II to the tank Ii). The restricted conduits 29 are sufficient to pass the air therethrough by reason of its extreme fluidity. When, however, the air has been completely exhausted and the oil presents itself at the restricted passages 29, the greater viscosity of the oil tends to prevent its passage through these constricted openings 29 and the pressure from the pump, therefore, builds up, and acts upon the flexible diaphragm and closes it against its own resistance and that of the enclosed spring 39 until the sleeve 23 has been lifted so that the needle valve 39 cooperating therewith will close further passage into the chamber 25 and, therefore, close the vent device and the outlet 22. As the vent device is in direct communication with the pressure side of the valve E3, it will be maintained in closed position so long as the pressure continues. When, however, the pressure ofthe oil is discontinued, the spring SS will promptly open the passage as described and the vent device is ready for a. repeat.

Oi course, the venting device illustrated may be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the invention herein set forth and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A vent member for an oil burner installation comprising a housing having a chamber with inlet and outlet ports communicating with the chamber, a collapsible diaphragm mounted within the chamber, a valve seat carried by and movable with the collapsible diaphragm, a valve member adjustably fixed in opposition to the movement of the valve seat, means forming communication between the interior of the collapsible diaphragm and the outlet port, and constricted passages from the chamber through the valve seat tending to provide passage for air by the valve and to resist the passage of oil, the pressure of said oil tending to collapse the diaphragm and move the seat intoY closing engagement with the valve. Y

2. A vent member for an oil burner installation comprising a housing having a chamber therein and with an inlet and an outlet port in communication with the chamber, a collapsible diaphragm, a Valve seat located within the chamber and carried by the diaphragm, said valve seat being adapted to be closed to interrupt the 'passageY of fluid from the inlet to the outlet port, a valve member cooperating with the said valve seat, means providing for passing air through said Valve seat, said means resisting the passage of oil to collapse the diaphragm and close the valve seat.

comprising a housing having a chamber therein with an inlet port and an outlet port, a conduit forming communication between said inlet port and outlet port, a movable hollow valve seat associated with the conduit, a valve member adjustably fixed relative to the valve seat, and constricted passages from the chamber to the interior of the valve seat proportioned to pass air by the Valve and to resist the passage of oil to move the valve seat into closing engagement with 10 the valve.

JAMES M. CARROLL. 

